The Jackbox Party Pack 10

I’d kill for a Jackbox Party Pack launcher, from which I could launch whichever games in packs I already owned during gaming sessions, rather than having to both remember which pack they were in and then launch that pack’s interface. In fact, I’d pay for just that alone, Jackbox Games. How about it?

The Jackbox Party Pack series has often proven a reliable source of fun and laughs, every year presenting players with another good excuse to gather everyone together for a few hours of phone-tapping hilarity. Unfortunately, The Jackbox Party Pack 10 feels like somewhat of a letdown, its games, while sometimes entertaining, are unable to capture the true magic we know this series is capable of. Summing things up in one sentence – Tee K.O. 2 is a safe but still fantastic time, Timejinx is a fun time-based trivia, Hypnotorious is enjoyable but inconsistent in its delivery, FixyText is chaotic noise and Dodo Re Mi is uninspired and forgettable.

There’s a growing sense that it’s difficult to keep devising novel games that work in this format. The Jackbox Party Pack 10 takes some safe retreads through familiar territory with fun, if somewhat uninspired entries like Tee K.O. 2 and Time Jinx. But in an attempt to provide something fresh, games like Hypnotorious and Fixy Text wind up being a bit of a mess. There’s still fun to be had with a group of friends, but this is a mixed bag of an entry in a series that’s looking increasingly in need of a shot in the arm.